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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27812320">Sins of the Father</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiite/pseuds/kiite'>kiite</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Light Angst, Minor Original Character(s), Post-Time Skip, really don’t know what to tag this with its short, sabos angstin a little, technically</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:15:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>905</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27812320</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiite/pseuds/kiite</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sabo thinks about the future.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Koala/Sabo (One Piece)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sins of the Father</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>rushed this a little cause I wanted to get smth out before November ends but I do still like this</p>
<p>also koala is trans this has no impact on this fic and is never mentioned but if I ever write koala assume she is trans. because I love her</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sabo sat on the edge of a sturdy crate, hands clasped together contemplatively as he stared at the kid. She was asleep on a bed of hay, cushioned slightly by his coat laid flat across the top. It hadn’t been hard to get her to sleep; she was understandably exhausted from all the crying and fear, falling asleep only moments after laying down. What had been hard, though, was getting her to stop clinging to his leg. She had only obliged when Sabo had promised not to go anywhere, and to be there when she woke up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rising, Sabo stretched his arms above his head. Quietly, he walked out of the barn, looking for Koala as he exited. She wasn’t hard to find; leaning against the front wall of the barn, she was looking down at a snail in her hand. Koala pocketed it as he came out, likely having just finished her call. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is she asleep?” Koala asked with a soft voice, afraid of waking the child despite the distance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wordlessly, Sabo nodded, sliding down to the grassy ground with his back against the front wall next to his partner. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Koala remained standing, looking down at Sabo, though his face was obscured by the brim of his hat from where she stood. “You’re good with her,” she commented, lacing her fingers together mindlessly. “Do you want kids, one day?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabo thought about it for a moment, staring out at the moon rising over a scenic hill. “Do you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t answer my question.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabo just shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Koala sighed, clearly used to conversations going this way. “I don’t know, I guess I’ve never really thought about it. Hard to picture myself as a mother, though.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can say that again,” Sabo snorted, ducking quickly as Koala tried to knock his hat off. He grinned, but it was quick to fade away, giving back in to his somber mood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just, sometimes I wonder…” he started, releasing his grip on the brim of his hat, “do you think we gave up that chance, when we became revolutionaries?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is a pretty dangerous life,” Koala pondered, clicking the heel of her boot against the dusty red wood of the barn. “I might have been a bit more stressed during the Baltigo fiasco if I was trying to keep a kid safe. It was hard enough dragging </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> around.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabo, uncharacteristically, didn’t give into the goading. “It’s not even just that… even if we waited until we weren’t revolutionaries anymore— assuming we retire, someday— all our enemies would still be our enemies.” He paused, rubbing his gloved hands. “Take that kid in there, for example. If we hadn’t run into her, the townspeople probably would have cut her head off by now, just because her dad was the king. She’s a damn toddler, she hasn’t done anything wrong yet…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not about what she’s done,” Koala sighed, crossing her arms. “It’s about what they think she </span>
  <em>
    <span>might</span>
  </em>
  <span> do. What she stands for.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabo laughed, but it was a humorless laugh. “Guess that’s why Ace had to die too, huh?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were both quiet for a moment, nothing seeming quite right to say at the moment. It was an unfortunate truth of the world, one they both knew, but was crushing nonetheless.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ace talked about his dad— about Roger, sometimes,” Sabo said after a while, still gazing out at the sky. It had darkened since he stepped out. “When we were kids, he— He hated him </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>much, Koala. There wasn’t a single time when he said that man’s name without basically spitting it out of his mouth. And then Luffy… well, Luffy just doesn’t care about Dragon. I don’t want that… I don’t want any of that. I don’t want a kid if it means I’ll be putting them in danger for the rest of their life, if it means— if it means they’ll </span>
  <em>
    <span>hate</span>
  </em>
  <span> me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Koala finally sat down beside Sabo, stretching one leg out and pulling the other knee up to her face. She turned her head to look at him, her big blue eyes glued to his face. “Hey,” she said, reaching out to flick his hat, “look at me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabo obliged, facing the woman he trusted with his life. She smiled, reaching out to brush a strand of hair out of his face. “I know it’s scary, to think about all the bad stuff that could happen,” Koala continued, voice gentle. “If I think of any kid going through what I did, I get so terrified— it’s not something I’d ever want someone I love to experience. But, you know, if we let fear of the unknown control us, we’d never get anything done.” With her free hand she took his where it rested on the grass, intertwining their fingers. “Stop overthinking it so much. You’ll be a great dad someday, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking his hat off, Sabo leaned forward to press his forehead against Koala’s. “You’re right, as always,” he said with a smile. He leaned a bit further, nuzzling into the crook of her neck and shoulder while pulling her into a hug. “Still think you’d be a mean mom.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, hush!” Koala said, smacking his back with a hand. Even though he couldn’t see her, Sabo could tell she was smiling. “I can’t believe I love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabo closed his eyes, letting himself forget all his worries. “I can’t believe it either.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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